March came in like a...

So hoping that this is a lion so that we can have the lamb at the end of the month.  So tired of winter.  Had a bunch of snow yesterday.  Light, fluffy, pretty snow.  Lots of inches of pretty snow.

 But spring must be right around the corner.  So I am starting plants for the garden.

Last week I started some celosa and amaranth.  The week before I started eucalyptus.  Those, if they do well, will be for the wedding at summer's end.  I also started some onions, kohlrabi and asparagus and filled out the trays with some marigolds, greens and basil.  As they sprout I move them from the germination heat mats to under the lights.  That frees up space on the mats for the next round. 

So today I am starting peppers.  For the last several years I have started bell peppers and jalapenos from seed.  Last year I added another hot pepper called Lemon drop, a favorite of my kids.  This year we are trying several new hot varieties, a couple of new bells and some for paprika.  Most were ones that I purchased but we did get one as a free sample that looks fun too.  Some were requests, my sister wanted to try a hot banana,  My future son in law wanted to try habaneros and a Carolina Reaper.  My son wanted to try a mini bell for snacking.  There were a couple that were recommended by bloggers I follow and a couple that just looked interesting on the websites.  We ordered from four companies.  Should make for an interesting harvest.  I do not eat really hot peppers but some of my bunch are 'the hotter the better' types.  I am hoping that there will be interest in both the plants and the fruits at the farmers market.  The fruits will different shapes and very colorful.  Should make for a nice display.  I will have to be on the lookout for fun baskets when thrifting. And jars for pepper jelly.

So here are my 21 peppers:

Tennessee Cheese
Hungarian spice
Mini Bell Mix
Red Belgian Bell
Olympus Bell
Gourmet Bell
Sweet Yellow Stuffing
Ace Bell
Horizon Bell
Shishito Japanese Peppers
El Jefe Jalapeno
Peach Habanero
Chocolate Habanero
Fish
Chinese Five Color
Lemon Spice Jalapeno
Mustard Habanero
Carolina Reaper
Lemon Drop
Lipstick
Hot Banana

Tomatoes are next and then some flowers for pollinators.  Can't wait.  So fun to be getting my hands in the dirt. 

Each of these pots has a dozen or more pepper seeds planted.  When they are germinated and have a little size on them they will be repotted into their own pots.  It is a type of seed starting that saves space on the heat mat but also allows for a greater separation of similar seeds.  When seeding different types of seeds into the same tray the potential is there for seeds to fall into the wrong row and then confusion as to the variety is possible.  It is a method that I have not used before but I may continue to use when I start less than a whole flat of the same variety.  These will be covered with a plastic dome until they germinate and then they will be moved under lights.  When they have a couple of sets of true leaves they will each get their own pot. 

Shared with BNOTP here.